City e-bike hire scheme in 'very early stages'

Proposals to create an e-bike hire scheme in Sheffield are being considered, the council has said.

Sheffield City Council confirmed it had completed a soft market testing document for the scheme, but said it was only designed to gauge interest and potential investment.

It said in the event of a scheme going forward it would largely rely on the investment of a private e-bike company.

Ben Miskell, chair of the council's transport, regeneration and climate policy committee, said: "It is true to say that we are starting to look into the prospect of an e-bike hire project in the city, but we are at the very early stages."

Miskell said they understood there would be "great interest in the progress of our proposals" but they were not yet ready to make an announcement.

He said the authority hoped to provide a further update in the "next few months".

A spokesperson said the council's involvement in the project would be similar to other schemes across the UK, with the authority's role primarily focused on ensuring the bikes could be stored and parked safely.

John Armitage, chair and secretary of cycle activism group Cycle Sheffield, said a rental scheme would make cycling in the city more accessible.

"It's the young kids, the people from poorer areas, the people who can't afford cars who just want to use a bike every so often that don't want to buy their own bike," he said.

"It's that dynamic of hitting loads of groups of people that don't normally use a bike. That is really good."

He said it would also help address some of the negativity due to the "illegal and erratic" use of e-bikes.

"This causes problems for other cyclists, it's not just something that drivers and pedestrians hate," he said.

"The more people are riding regular e-bikes, the more it will add to the sense of safety for everyone that uses e-bikes as a way to get from A to B, or as a fun activity, rather than being seen as a negative activity."

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